An Aerodynamic Study of Stops in Sindhi

Abstract This paper deals with supra-glottal (Psupra) and sub-glottal (Psub) air pressures in the production of stops in Sindhi. Sindhi has the fullest stop system of any Indo-Aryan languages. Besides a contrast between voicing and unvoicing, aspiration and un-aspiration, there is a contrast between compression and rarefaction too. This paper studies the physiological events with reference to both the time factor and the aerodynamics of the breath stream. Pneumotachography and laryngoscopy with fiber-optics bundle are some of the techniques employed to obtain quantitative data. Experimental data given here reveal various complex mechanisms of articulatory timing and co-ordination of the oral, pharyngeal, velopharyngeal, laryngeal and respiratory structures.